Chylous reflux into localized pulmonary lymphangiectasis.

Spontaneous chylothorax is uncommon and may originate from different etiologies either pleural, pulmonary, or mediastinal. Chyloptysis is a still rarer clinical problem and always of pulmonary origin. We report 2 cases: the first, a 63-year-old woman presenting with a chylothorax, and the second, a 28-year-old man with chyloptysis.

Chylothorax complicating pulmonary resection.

Background: Chylothorax complicating pulmonary resection (CCPR) is infrequent and surgical treatment is for the most part avoided. The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical and therapeutic characteristics of this complication.

Methods: From March 1981 to June 2001, 26 cases of CCPR (24 men and 2 women; mean age 57 years) were treated in two departments of thoracic surgery.